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R. P., ROTHWELL.

APPARATUS PO R SINKING-SHAFTS OR DRIVING TUNNELS. No 49,586. PatentedNov. 12, 1 95.

( d l) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. P. ROTHWELL. APPARATUS FOR SINKING SHAPTS 0R DRIVING TUNNELS.

N0. 549,58 P'tente Nov. ,1 Q5.

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R. P. ROTHWELL. APPARATUS FOR SINKING SHAFTS 0R DRIVING TUNNBLS.

N0.'54 9,586. Patented Nov. 12

um/whoa q m/imeaom UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD PENNEFATHER ROTIUVELL, OF NEVV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR SINKING SHAFTS OR DRIVING TUNNELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,586, dated November12, 1895.

Application filed March 9, 1893. Serial No. 465,313. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD PENNEFATHER ROTHWELL, a resident of NewYork, in the county of New York and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sinking Shafts andDriving Tunnels; and I'dohereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to means for sinking shafts and driving tunnels;and it has for its obj ectsto automatically guide a movable caisson orshield; to pack the joint or joints between a shield and a shaft ortunnel lining; to stop or pack the space between the shaft or tunnelwall and the lining, and to provide for the continuous removal ofexcavated material without interference with the introduction of thelining-segments and the continuous building of said lining; and itconsists in the construction hereinafter de scribed and particularlypointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectionof a portion of a lined shaft and of a movable caisson or shield, jacksfor pushing the shield being shown in full lines. Fig. 2 is a similarview of a tunnel, both figures embracing a diagram of Valve-controllingdevices. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of a valve andvalve-controlling devices. Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations of details.Fig. 6 is a partial elevation of a modification. Figs. 7 and S aresectional views of modified packings.

Numeral 1 indicates the rock or native wall of a shaft, and 2 a liningfor the same, built of segments bolted together in manner too well knownto need further description.

3 denotes a shield or caisson having double walls 4 and 5, and 6 denoteshydraulic jacks adapted to. force the shield forward into and throughthe material'to be excavated. These jacks are situated between a seat 3,made fast to the shield, and the front of the lining. The two walls 4and 5, which are separated sufficiently to permit workmen to enterbetween them to bolt together the lining-segments, are joined by acurved wall 5, having a contour, substantially as illustrated, topresent as little obstruction to the movement of the shield aspracticable. Any suitable apparatus for forcing the shield forward maybe employed.

7 indicates pipes adapted to throw jets of water toward the axis of theshaft or tunnel within the front part of the shield, for the purpose ofaiding in the disintegration and removal of the material.

In sinking shafts through soft ground by the method described in mypatent dated May 30, 1890, and numbered 428,021, and also in theoperation of making tunnels it is very important that the shield orcaisson such as herein illustrated be pushed forward evenly all around.When the admission of power to the jacks which push the shield isregnlated directlyb y the workmen, this is difficult of attainment, someof the jacks being pushed out faster than others. This deflects thedirection of the shield movement, causing undue strains in its back endand in the shaft or tunnel lining and binding the shield, rendering itvery difficult to put in the liningsegments and causing delays anddangers to the work. To overcome these difficulties I regulate theadmission of power to the jacks automatically, so that if one side ofthe shield advances a small distance ahead of the other the admission ofpower to the jacks on that side will be automatically throttled oraltogether cut off until the other side has caught up, when the powerwill again be automatically admitted and the shield will go forward atpractically the same rate all around. This automatic regulation I canapply equally well to the case of a tunnel-shield pushed forwardhorizontally or-at any angle of inclination. I accomplish this verydesirable object by utilizing the force of gravity in any convenientmanner, as by the devices next to be described. Suchdevices are indicated at A in Fig. 1 and at B in Fig. 2, and are shown on a largerscale in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1, (t denotes the main pipe for a fluid under pressure, and atits valve. 0 denotes a transverse or annular pipe communicating with theinlet-pipe a and with several branches, one of which is indicated at cl,its valve being denoted by'e. Each branch d communicates with a shorttransverse pipe f, which latter communicates with a group of preferablyfrom four to siXor more pipes 9, each having a valve Z). The automaticregulation herein described is applicable either to the valves inindividual pipes 9 or to valves 6 in pipes d mediately controllingadmission of fluid to the groups of pipes supplied from transverse pipesf. In practice the various pipes may also be supplied with valvesadapted to be manipulated by hand.

Referring to Fig. 3, 1) denotes a valve cas ing situated in a conduitthrough which a medium of power,such as water or other fluid, isconveyed under pressure to the jacks. 10 is a bracket, and 11 a leverpivotally supported thereon and also pivotally connected, as by a link12, with a valve-stem 12. To the upper end of the lever 11 is connectedby a link 13 an armature 14, which is extended axially through a seriesof coils 15 of insulated conductin g-wire. Each coil is connected by aconducting-wire with a switchtable 1.6 in a well-known manner. 17denotes an electric cable leading to and from a battery (not shown)constituting, together with the switch-bar QOand a coil 15, an insulatedcircuit. As shown in the present instance, this bar is moved to theright or left for the purpose of varying the coil included in thecircuit by the effect of variations of the level of the mercury in areceptacle 21 by the medium of a diaphragm or float 1S, resting on thesurface of the mercury in said receptacle, the float being transverselymovable in a branch or chamber of said reeeptacle. In the presentinstance this is represented as a branch of a three-way coupling. (SeeFig. 3.) The float is pivotally connected with an arm of the switch-barsuitably pivoted in a post 20" and said float is counterbalanced by aweight 23. The construction and arrangementare such that a variation inthe level of the mercury moves the bar 20 over the switch board it; toinclude within the electric circuit any one of thewires leading from theswitch board to the coils, and thereby including the corresponding coil.By this means the armature 1t is moved to the right or left, accordingto the situation of the coils by which it is magnetized. The switchboardcan be moved to the right or left to vary the eifective range of theswitch-bar by means of the screw havinga handle 16, as indicated. Themercury-receptacle is attached to or connected with the shield, so thatany deflection of the latter from a right line will alter the mercurial.level and suitably regulate the admission of power to one or more of thejacks by the action 'of the devices just described upon the valve 2ithrough the medium of lever 11 and links 12 and 13. The particulardevices for automatica-lly controlling the amount of power exerted atdiiferent points are not the gist of the invention which include alldevices operated in sub stantially like manner or by gravity to vary theamount of power applied by changes in the direction of theshield-movement. Thus it is obvious that the particular form of valve orof mercury receptacle or of connecting devices is immaterial. In somecases I propose to use an insulated pendulum as a part of the electriccircuit, such pendulum being suspended in contact with a switchboard andadapted to vary the magnetizing-coil in the circuit by its automaticmovements across the face of the board, as indicated in Fig. 0. \Vhereshafts are to be sunk or tunnels driven through wet ground by means of amovable shield, it is very important that the water be effectuallyprevented from entering between the shield and the shaft-lining. Variousmeans have been proposed to eflfcct this but owing to the fact that theshield is made of plates riveted together and never forms an absolutelytrue circle and that the shaft-lining, made of iron orsteelcastings,also never makes a true circle it is difficult to secure aneffective packing between the shield and shaft-lining. To overcome thisdifliculty I adoptfor that portion of the shield containing thelining-rings a true bored-out cylinder, whether of cast-iron,cast-steel, or other material, and I make the linin g-rin gs true bycasting facingstrips on them, so that when the ring is bolted up thesestrips can be turned off to a true circle, which will leave but the verylittle necessary clearance between them and the inside bored surface ofthe shield. The clearance thus being very small and uniform, it is easyto pack it successfully and cheaply by cellulose, or a soft wood orother suitable material that will rest 011 the facing-strips and byexpanding when wet will make efficient tight packing between the shieldand lining.

In the drawings, Fig. l, 26 denotes a strip fixed on a lining-section,and 27 a movable packing. Said strips are narrow and require much lesslabor in making them perfectly true than would be required for an entiresection forming part of a ring of uniform external diameter and as wideas a section. They also furnish convenient supports for the paekin It isimmaterial whether the strips be on the exterior of the lining or on theinterior of the shield, provided the opposing surface be corresponding]y true. \Vhcre the projecting strips are on the inside of the shield, Isometimes use a flap or packing made of pieces 28 of metal or otherstrong material, covered with leather, rubber, or other suitablematerial .restin g on the projections 26 on the inside of the shield.These pieces of metal, leanin g against the shaft or tunnel l ining,form the support for the flexible eoverin g, which, being pressedtightly against the shaft-lining by the pressure of the water ormaterial from above, makes a tight joint or packing between the shieldand the shaft or tunnel lining. The pieces of metal simply rest in agroove 2!) 0n the fittingstrip, being held there by the leather or othercovering which is riveted to them and to the shield. These pieces ofmetal are usually curved steel segments and are covered with rubber,leather, canvas, or other suitable material constituting a flapsurrounding the shaft or tunnel lining and closing the space between itand the shield, I may also use a flap of similar construction to make astopping between the outside of the shaftlining and the rock above theshield, so as to prevent sand and clay from descending in this space andinterfering with the injection of cement through holes in theshaft-lining above the shield and to prevent the cement from passingdown between the shield and the rock, thus cementing in the shield. Thisuse is only temporary, to allow the injection, through suitable'holes inthe lining, into the space between the shaft-lining and the rock abovethe shield of hydraulic cement or sand and some solidifying solution orother suitable material, which material, filling the crevices in therock and the space between the rock and the lining, makes a tight jointand prevents the passage of water down around the lining of the shaftandits entrance into the shaft below the lining and shield. The flap isinserted in a recess in the liningsegments of the shaft, and when thesehave passed up out of the shield said flap opens and is pressed outagainst the rock, preventing the passage of sand or other material.

In driving tunnels through soft ground by means of a movable shield orcaisson pushed forward from the tunnel-lining it is customary to makethe front of the shield with doors, which are left open when the shieldis in firm, dry ground, and workmen go out in front of it and dig theground, throwing it back through these doors, when it is again handledand thrown into the cars, which convey it out of the tunnel. When theshield is in soft ground,some of the doors are closed and the softground is allowed to come back through those which are left open, thematerial being squeezed back by the forcing forward of the shield. Thematerial falls down onto the bottom of the shield and on the segmentallining of the tunnel, and from there is loaded into the cars,as before.While this handling of the material is going on, the lining-segmentscannot be put in, but the act of lining and the movement of the shieldand handling of material alternate. The clay, mud, and water coming intothe shield where the lining-segments are put together renders thatoperation slow, difficult, and expensive,

and the digging and handling of all the material by hand is also slowand expensive.

By the adoption of the following devices which I have invented the speedof driving tunnels through soft ground can be very greatly increased andtheir cost diminished. I use a double or-annular shield, as shown in theaccompanying drawings. In the annular space I place extremely-powerfuljacks or other motors, and I design the shape of the shield so as tooffer the least possible resistance to piercing the clay, gravel, orother soft material to be traversed. I place in the front of the shieldjets ofwater worked under great pressure to cut radially and loosen themass of material compressed in front of the shield and allow it moreeasily to be forced back through the center tube. I use a center tubeabout ten feet less in diameter than the main shield, so as to leavesufficient space between them for handling and bolting up of thesegments of the tunnel-lining. The center tube has its forward endprovided with doors, (indicated at 5.) These may be of usualconstruction, and need not be particularly described herein. They maybeopened, or closed as occasion requires, as in existingshields; but myobject is to do the work of excavating largely by the power of the jacksor other propelling force which will push the shield forward,forcing thesoft material back into the car, back of the annular working chamber,without interfering with the work of putting in the segments of thelining, which work goes on continuously in the annular space or workingchamber. The segments come in on a track on each side of the center tubeand out of the way of the material passing from the shield into thecars, so that not only is the work of excavating thus done by machinerymuch more expeditiously and economically than byhand, but the worklining is greatly facilitated by being done in of a comparatively cleanchamber and by being made continuous. The form of the front of theannular shield is such as to offer the least resistance to its forwardmovement. When the ground becomes too firm to allow the shield to bepushed through it, or when obstructions are met with, men can dig out infront of the shield and remove the obstruction, or excavate the groundin the usual manner.

' In the drawings, 30, Fig. 2, denotes tracks I or equivalent devicesfor bringing in the sections of lining into the working space, and 32 atrack for the removal of excavated material.

Having thus described my improvements, what I claim is 1. In combinationa shaft sinking or tunneling shield, power mechanism for advancing theshield and a gravity device to automatically vary the action of saidmechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination a shaft sinking or tunneling shield, mechanism foradvancing the shield and devices for varying the action of the mechanismadapted to be automatically operated by the departure of the shield froma desired direction consisting of a valve and an electro-magnet and acircuit maker and breaker adapted to be operated by gravity to make orbreak the magnetizing current, substantially as set forth.

3. In a shaft sinking or tunnel driving apparatus the combination of theshield, the lining, the narrow fixed strips, said strips and the surfaceopposed to them being made substantially true, and the expansiblepacking adjacent to the strips, substantially as set forth.

4:. In a shaft sinking or tunnel driving apparatus the combination ofthe strips, the

curved pieces 28 supported thereon, the elastie cover on said pieces andthe tunnel lining, substantially as set forth.

5. In a tunnel driving apparatus the shield having double walls joinedat their front and curved baekwardly and inwardly and connected to atubular part provided with doors 5 to close the same at will, a trackfor moving a car in a plane below said tubular part, a car to removeexcavated material, and mechanism for pushing the shield forward wherebythe advance of the shield maybe made to automatically load the car,substantiall as set forth.

(3. In a tunnel driving apparatus a shield having double walls joined attheir front, the inner wall being inclined inwardly and backwardly andconnected to a tubular part, hydraulic jacks or the like situatedbetween said walls and a track for carrying lining segments situatedabove the bottom of the shield and between its walls, substantially asset forth. In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD IllNNElA'llll'lll lltl'lllwlllill.

\Vitnesses:

1 J. PRATT, AUGUSTUS J. (Lusrm.

